New Holidays ‎– Maybe So Maybe No / If I Only Knew 1969 (Soulhawk Records)

Label : Soulhawk Records

Value :

The New Holidays are James Holland, Jack Holland and Maurice Wise (and possibly Joe Billingslea).

The Holidays - there seems to have been a gazillion US groups with that name. So, it probably won’t be a big surprise to read that there wasn’t just one in Detroit - or two - or three. Consequently it’s long and, at times, complicated story, but as the layers of their histories are peeled back, a web of connections, deals and talent is revealed, sprinkled with a little intrigue.

Weaving through the story is the singers’ common goal: chasing a dream and having a good time; creating music and hopeful of getting a smash hit. The 60s was an exciting decade and they were making the most of it - something that’s palpable when you hear their recordings.

Unluckily, success proved to be elusive – except for “I’ll Love You Forever” - mainly because of a lack of concerted promotion and airplay, compounded by a shortage of cash. But the good news is: the music lives on.

 And what great music it is: from 1950’s doo-wop to funky mid-70’s Soul - running the whole gamut of Detroit’s history of rhythm and blues. And it’s no wonder the songs sound so good - Detroit’s legendary session musicians played on many of the tracks and some of the city’s best arrangers were involved: Joe Hunter, Sonny Sanders, Mike Terry and Dale Warren; plus songwriters like Tony Hester, Steve Mancha, George Clinton, Popcorn Wylie, Don Davis and Leon Ware.

And then there were the iconic local recording companies - Golden World, Groove City, Master, Revilot, Soul Hawk and more - that released recordings by The Holidays, The Hollidays, The New Holidays, The Royal Holidays, The Four Hollidays and The Fabulous Holidays.

When you open each web page, you should automatically hear segments of their songs – some preceded by comments from the singers. Alternatively, you can click on a comprehensive selection listed on the Discography page. There’s also a list at the foot of that page detailing CDs featuring a few of these songs, just in case you wish to hear them completely. Please drop us a line if you know of any others that are available.

As I said, it’s a pretty complicated story. But if it gets a bit too complex you can simply check the Discography page to readily see who was singing in which group.by soulful detroit
Enjoy. And turn the volume up.

Taste :

New Holidays ‎– Maybe So Maybe No

By Electric Looser